Mozilla's Future and our best decisions

(I've posted this elsewhere so please forgive me... but I'd like the widest feedback possible and recognizing that not all posters here post over "there" I decided to hit both forums)
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Now that Mozilla has decided to stop development on the Mozilla suite and focus its resources upon Firefox and Thunderbird, some questions regarding its future and our own decision-making come to the forefront.

This morning I downloaded Mozilla 1.7.6 but for the first time, hesitated about installing it. In fact, its still in my download folder. Why? I'm wondering about the usefulness of bothering with the installation. I've never fully understood why Mozilla split early on into the standalone products and the suite. It seemed a waste of its resources. Why not simply make the decision for better or for worse from the very beginning and then stick with it? Today we seem to have a mess of sorts: Mozilla suite being worked on by a committee of interested persons, Firefox/Thunderbird and Netscape 8 beta. Why? What on earth is the point of it all? Opera has stuck with its suite as has Microsoft. It has made its suite infinitely customizable so that you can install only the browser if you so wished. But Mozilla???

So, I sit here wondering whether to bother with this 1.7.6 installation since I've a strong feeling that any 1.8 version will be a long time in coming and without a great many bugs and glitches. Why not just throw in the towel and go with the flow.... FF/TB? After all.... 25 million downloads seems to indicate that the suite's days are pretty much over save for a small hardcore group of users. :?

 

When Blake Ross presented his first Version of the now Firefox, Ben Goodger no doubt saw the possibilities of finally having a Gecko based browser to bring competition to the Microsoft IE monopoly. That was my first impression at least. First, a test of the waters was necessary, and now that Firefox and Thunderbird have taken off, well, that is self explanatory.

I see it as an opportunity for the architects of Firefox and Thunderbird. An opportunity to concentrate the talent in one direction, and not thinly spread in developing the Mozilla Suite, Firefox, and Thunderbird. As Asa Dotzler has explained, human resources are limited. I believe that Firefox, and Thunderbird, are worthy contenders in the Browser and Mail Client arena.

Netscape 8 Beta, altho based on Firefox source code, is not a part of the Mozilla Foundation, and is owned by AOL.

James, if you enjoy using the Mozilla Suite, then why not use 1.7.6? Even if the 1.8 version is a long time coming, why not enjoy 1.7.6 now. I don't think that going with Firefox and Thunderbird is throwing in the towel, as far as the Mozilla Suite is concerned. I think it is moving ahead into the future of two terrific applications.

The Mozilla Suite may very well lose popularity as users realize the advantages of Firefox and Thunderbird, and yes, perhaps some day it will be discontinued. But that too will be a long time in coming.

MHO,

Ramona

 

Ramona,

I'm with you. I have Mozilla 1.7.6 and latest TBird and FFox. I Play with the latter two for now. Use Mozilla suite for my more serious efforts. But, when and if a change over is dictated, I'll be comfortable with the "newbies ", TBird and FFox.

 

GPaDavis,

That's an excellent way to become accustomed to the new programs, while still enjoying what you're most comfortable with. The more you use Firefox and Thunderbird, and get used to the differences in the Options/Preferences, the better you will like them...

Ramona

 

Thanks for your advice. I've installed the suite and I'll follow your example: use FF/TB as my default browser/email client but use the suite when the mood strikes my fancy.